


SVZoo

by sarahcakes613



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Animals, Fluff and Crack, M/M, With A Twist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:22:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26054893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarahcakes613/pseuds/sarahcakes613
Summary: Mikey the sun bear just wants to be friends with Nicky the coyote, and Sonny the giraffe gives him some advice.
Relationships: Nick Amaro/Mike Dodds
Comments: 15
Kudos: 14
Collections: MIKE DODDS!!





	SVZoo

**Author's Note:**

> I am genuinely surprised at how long this turned out to be.

It was a beautiful day at SVZoo, but Mikey the sun bear was too sad to notice. He stared over the fence into the next enclosure and sighed, his chin resting in his paws.

His friend Sonny the giraffe wandered over to the fence between their habitats and tilted his head down.

“Are you okay Mikey?” Sonny asked, a worried expression on his face.

“No,” Mikey huffed, “I’m sad.”

“Why are you said?” Sonny tugged at some tall branches and brought them down low so he could share the berries with his best friend.

Mikey picked some berries and popped them in his mouth all at once.

“I’m sad because I don’t think Nicky likes me very much.” He said through a full mouth. Everybody knows sun bears don’t have very good table manners.

Sonny chewed his own mouthful thoughtfully before speaking. “Why do you think that?”

Mikey waved a paw over to the enclosure on the other side of his. “Ever since I moved in here, I’ve been going down to the fence and trying to talk to him, but he just ignores me.”

Sonny nods, his long neck bobbing up and down. “He just misses Mandy, who used to live in your paddock. They always shared their dinners. That doesn’t mean he won’t like you too! You just have to be patient and win him over.”

Mikey flings another pawful of berries into his mouth. “Shared their dinners, huh? That’s not a bad idea. You think you could help me, Sonny?”

Sonny grinned. “Yeah, what do you need me to do?”

Mikey gestured for Sonny to lean down so he could whisper in his ear. Sonny leaned forward, his legs splayed behind him, and listened very carefully. When Mikey was finished explaining his idea, Sonny stood upright.

“Oh boy,” He exclaimed, “I can’t wait to help you!”

That night, when Zookeeper Olivia brought everyone their dinners, Mikey took his down to the fence-line he shared with Nicky.

“Hey Nicky,” Mikey called out softly. “Do you want some of my peaches?”

Nicky poked his head out from behind the rock where he was eating his own food. He had a bit of raw meat on his nose, but Mikey thought it made him look tough, like he’d been hunting his own meal.

“You want to share your peaches with me?” Nicky asked suspiciously, peering at Mikey, his brows drawn together.

“Yeah, I mean, if you want.” Mikey was nervous, because he really wanted Nicky to like him and be his friend and sit with him.

Nicky turned his head and then emerged fully from behind the rock, dragging a dead rabbit along with him. He dragged it all the way up to where Mikey was standing.

“Do you want some rabbit?” Nicky asked politely.

Mikey leaned forward and sniffed it. It was bigger than the meat Zookeeper Olivia usually gave him, but it smelled pretty good. He rolled two peaches under the wire of the fence and in exchange Nicky gnawed loose one of the rabbits paws for Mikey to nibble on.

They sat together all evening, sharing their food and telling jokes and getting to know each other. Nicky told Mikey all about his friend Mandy the armadillo, who had left SVZoo to go live at another park. Mikey told Nicky about his dad, Big Willy, who had wanted Mikey to go live at the big fancy zoo in Washington, but he liked it here at SVZoo.

From his own paddock further up the hill, Sonny the giraffe watched his two friends talking and smiled to himself as he munched on the coconut palms and acorns that Mikey had traded him for his peaches. He was glad he had been able to help Mikey, because he liked the sun bear, and wanted him to feel welcome at SVZoo.

From that night on, Mikey and Nicky were always together. They shared all their meals, and when Zookeeper Olivia and Dr. Fin saw that they got along so well, they removed part of the fence so that they could go in and out of each other’s habitats.

They loved to play, their favourite thing to do was box with each other, and sometimes they would pretend to hunt Sonny. He was pretty good at outrunning them though, and he always got away because of his long legs.

Mikey was never sad on beautiful days after that, because he had the best friends in the world.

* * *

“Hey uncle Sonny?”

“Yeah, Lili?”

“Did papi really have raw meat on his nose when daddy met him?”

Sonny laughs as he tucks the blankets in around his goddaughter. “It was a bit of jelly from a doughnut, actually, but coyotes don’t eat jelly doughnuts.”

Liliana nods sleepily. “That was a good story, uncle Sonny.”

“I’m glad you liked it. I’m going to turn the light off now, okay? You go to sleep, and when you wake up in the morning, your papi and daddy will be home.”

“Mmkay. G’night.”

“Good night, Lili.” Sonny whispers as he flips the lightswitch and tiptoes out of the room.

Sonny is tidying up the toys and dishes from the coffee table when the front door creaks open and his two best friends walk in.

“Hey,” Mike greets Sonny as he shakes the snow out of his hair. Nick hangs their coats up before turning to greet Sonny as well.

“How was Lili?” Nick asks.

“She was great,” Sonny smiles. “I told her the story of how you guys started dating.”

Nick rolls his eyes and Mike laughs.

“You told our kid about me asking Nick out on a date while he had jam on his face? And how Fin made Liv partner us because Nick wouldn’t stop pouting about me getting sent out with Rollins?”

Sonny chuckles. “Well, not in so many words.”

Mike pulls him for a bear hug and they both thank him for babysitting so that they could finally have a date night. After he leaves, Mike turns to Nick.

“You know, Sonny is the one who told me to finally get off my ass and ask you out.” Mike murmurs, putting his arms around Nick from behind and nuzzling at his neck.

“He’s a smart guy,” Nick says, and then adds “if you tell him I said that I’ll deny it.”

Mike huffs a laugh against his partner’s skin. They walk down the hall to their daughter’s bedroom, nudging the door open just enough to peek in on her and see her sleeping.

“She looks like you when she sleeps,” Mike comments. “All curled up like a feral little cat.”

“It’s the eyebrows,” Nick says wryly. “She got my eyebrows, poor kid.”

“Could be worse, she could have gotten my dad’s.” Nick’s eyes go wide and Mike laughs quietly. “Come on, let’s get to sleep.”

They get into bed, facing each other, legs tangled together. Mike kisses the top of Nick’s hair as they get comfortable. “I love you, papi.” He mumbles.

Nick hums, nuzzling Mike’s throat. “Love you too, daddy.”

**Author's Note:**

> SURPRISE! I had way too much fun with this goofy thing.  
> Also, I think it's kind of adorable when parents use their parent titles for each other. No daddy kink here, folks, just cute dads being dads.


End file.
